The Gendered Meaning of Trust and its Role in Sexual Decision-Making within American Collegiate Hookup Culture

This paper examines sexual decision-making within the hookup culture prominent on American college campuses. Relying on qualitative data from interviews and focus groups, I examine the gendered meaning of trust and its role in sexual decision-making. Many students mention trust as a factor in their decisions of which sexual behaviors to engage in, yet analysis reveals that trust means different things for young men and women. For young men, trusting a partner indicates that the young woman is not seen as a threat to the young man's reputation or sexual health. For young women, trust means far more. To young women, trust also entails confidentiality, exclusivity, and safety. Young women are concerned about sexual health, pregnancy, and physical safety. Young women also mention the male peer group and a concern over reputation, where trust also involves a level of confidentiality between them and their male partners.